Wear-compensating means for rail joints



April 2,' 1929 R. E. KEouGH 1,707,436

WEAR COMPENSATING MEANS FOR RAIL JOINTS Original Filed April 5, 1926 iUNITEDrSTATEs.PATENT OFFICE,

Bonner EMMET KEoUGmoF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE AMERLGAN FORK &,HOE GOMPANY,.OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO..

WEAnv-coMPm-TSATING MEANsFon RAIL JoiNTs.

i l'originel application inea april 3, 192e, serial Ne. 99,475. Dividedenanas application niet Deeember 17, 1927. *serial Np. 240,685.y

My invention relates to improvements in rail joint construction andrelates more particularly to provisionof Wear coinpensatingy means forrail joints whereby rail joint sidevbars which have become lworn bytheends of the railroad rails contained within the joints, and whichotherwise are ysuiil ciently strong tofmeet the requirements ot' use,maybe continued in usefinconnection with either the same rail-s, worn orotherwise,

or new rails.

In the practical usey of raill'j oints the hammering down of the railends-.by the passage of the trucks of trains passing over'the rails,results in wear at the under `sides of the rail head flanges, thesurfaces of therail joint side bars engageable therewith, and theengaging surfaces of the rail base vflangesy and An object of my presentinvention is to provide a wear compensating means'adap-table to beplaced in the space provided byy the wearing' away of portions of therail joint'or `the rails comprisedtherein,` and which will support thepar'tsin-their proper positions. Y j -v Another object off my inventionis to provide against the longitudinal shifting of the wear.compensating `means of the various types proposedlnrein, so that thewear compensating means will alwaysbe` retained in that position.rela'tiveto the Worn portions, of the raii or rail A joint vsurfaceswherein' they will most elllciently compensate for the wearthereof. i iY j Another object of my invention is toprovide, as a unitary elem-ent,awear compeneating meansY for rail `joints comprising a metallic shiminsertable inthe jointftocompensate for wearthereof.

Another obj ectof my invention is to pro-V vide a Vshim of unitaryconstruction, insertable .to `compensate for Wear in. a rail joint andwhich will compensate for the wear at a plurality of portions in therail joint.

@ther objects of my invention and the invvention itselfwill"beconie'apparent by refer,-

ence to the following description of certain embodin'ients ofi'ny'linventi'on' and in which description reference will b e hadto theac- Fig. l shows` in elevational view an em- 'y preceding embodiments;

shim's lin the joint.

F ig'. 2 is a transverse section take trans-` versely fof the' railjoint of Fig. lv at its' middlean'd betweenthe ends of the abuttingrails. y. i

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a shim element illustrated as embodiedinthe' structurefof'Figs. l and 2; `Fig. 4 is an other embodiment of shim,similarly illustrated in Figs. land 2;r I y Figi 5 isa sectional 'Viewtaken onthe yline 5,'-5 of F igs; 3' and 4; the view serving *toillustrate ylike lines of'section .in both of the Fig. 6 is `aperspective View embodiment of my invention;

rof third 7 is a. sectjoll taken von the OfFs-G- ,i

The rail joint of invention fcomprises a pairof joint sidebfars whichare bolted to thetwo sides of a pair of longitudinally abutting railwayrails .by`a:pluralityotrail b olts passing through `the alignedperforations of the joint bars and the intermediate Webs `of the rails;also as later more'lspecifi callyv described,'lI yprovide at either orboth sides or' the two kabutting rails, yshimsfof'any 'of the generaltypes v illustratedv herein, de-

pending upon-the amount of Wear-'which has previouslyoccurred on thesurface of the `jointbars and railsr which inthe operation Vor the jointare susceptible' -to wear by 'pounding together, incidentalto thepassage offa trainover the-rail joint.

Itvwill be understood that the shinisfof the various general types las,herein illustrated may be placed kat eitheror bothsid'e's of any railjoint and Willfbe made in varying thickf nessesto compensate for varyingdegrees'ofy wear met with in practice and desired to be compensated,forfby 'the inclusion of vsuch QReerring now first specifically to vtheembodiments tof. myinvention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, '3 and 5,illustrate therein a ,wear compensating means for: the rail joint 'of iFigs. land v2,5comprising ashim of hardened Vsteelor like material,illustrated in Figs; 3

and i 5, and which is rolledor otherwise iorined to be of greatestthickness in its'longitudinalmedial portionas indicated by the lineYshown on Fig.' 3, and as illustrated relative to the position oftherail ends.

i `ly the same as the angularlty of in section in Fig. 5, the shim.beingfso ,placed in the joint that such portion fof greatest the railupon Which the greatest Wear has beenaccomplished. F rom the line 5.-5of greatest thickness andtowards thelends. ,of

the shim proceeding from such line of greatest thickness, the shim is.prefeiiably.madesof progressively less thickness, the minimum thicknessbeing at the ends of the shim. ,This will provideaicompensating, fillerfor the crevice formed by the pounding of the rails on the ra.il\jointside bars which is widest at its middle portiomgenerally at theends of the rails .and which tapers in breadth in portions of thejointrrelatively remote from the ends of the rails.

The shim of Figs. 3 and 5 is formed with an intermediate web portion il.andangularly,disposed flanged portions@ and {i2-3, the flanged portionsbeing projected between the Wearing surfaces of the rail joint under therail head flange A34,;Fig. 2, and above the rail base vflange 20, theflanges thereby providing a facing for the rail joint side bar2, ofrelatively hard metallic materiahthickened intermediate its ends tocompensatefor the greater Wear of the .rail joint 'side bar and in somecasesalso, of the rails, in intermediate portions of the joint. The webil performs a duo-foldA purpose; first, it positions the flanges againstlateral movements tending to displace ythem laterally of the rails; andsecond, by the provision for engagement between portions of the Web ,4land lthe rail joint bolts,7, the shim is prevented fromlongitudinalendvvise movement In the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 5, thispositioning ishad by virtue of the bolts 7 being projected loosely throughperforations 7 of theshim, such perforations being disposed in the Webof the shim and so` positioned as to be alignable With the apertures 59through the rail web and @Soif the joint side bar. The angularity oftheflanges i2 and 43 may aried, but preferably will be substantialthecontacted surface of the rail head and base flanges With which the shimflanges contact.

Theshim of the embodiment of Fig. l is like that of the embodimentpreviously described above except that the web does not extend for thevfull `length of the shim lbutgextends merely for vsuch adistance, fromthe longitudinal kmedial 4line 5--5as may be accommodated betweentheinnerpair of rail joint bolts 7. Thereducedvveb 50 ofthe embodimentof Fig. cwpositions fthe lshim longitudinallyof the rail joint by theengagement, of `its edges with the adjacent inner parallel bolts 7. 4

, Referring now to the 'invention illustrated in Fig. @,thedescriptioniof the embodiment illustrated Fig. 3 Will apply for thisalso, the structure being very similar, except that openings 30 and 3lare provided above and below the interposed most remote from the ends ofthe rails. .K v

Thisapplication is a division of, applicationNo'. 99,475, flledApril.3,192.6...l Y Having thus described'` myinvention lin certainembodiments, I am aware that numerous and 'extensive,departuresl may bemade. from the embodiments herein.` illustrated and.describedwithoutdeparting` from the spirit ofmy invention.

I claim:

HLA Wear compensating .means for rail joints comprisingv a sheet`metalbody of channel cross sectional form comprising an intermediateAWeb. and Wear. `compensatingshim flanges extending divergingly from theupper vand lovver .portions thereof, said meansinsertable` betweena sidebar of a rail ,jointsand the ,rail With the -upper and lower shimflanges interposed respectively i;

between the side bar and the underside of the rail head flange and theupper sideV of therail base flange, at least one of said flanges beingtapered in thickness longitudinally of thejoint to compensate for theincreased amountof Wear in the jacent the ends kof the rails.`

2. A Wear compensating means for yrail joints comprising a sheet.` metal.body of joint. ad-

channel cross sectional form comprising an.

intermediate -Web and WearI 'compensating shim flanges extendingdivergingly fromfhe upper, and lowerportions thereof, said meansinsertable between a side bar of'a rail j nt and the rail With the upperand lower shim flangesV interposed respectively between the side bar andVthe underside of the rail head flange and the upper side of the railbase flange, said flanges being tapered vin thickness longitudinally ofthe joint to compensate, forthe increased amount of Wear in the jointadjacent the ends of the rails.W

A Wear compensating means for rail joints comprising a sheet metal`,body of channel cross sectional form comprising ,anV

intermediate Webv and -Wear compensating shim flanges extending`divergingly. from the upper and: lower yportionsV thereof, vsaid meansmsertable between a side bar of a rail joint and the rail'with theupperand Y lower shim flanges. interposed'respectively between the sidebar and the lunderside of ,the rail head flange and the `upper side.of

the rail base flange, at least" one of` said flanges being tapered inthicknesslongitudinally of the joint to compensate forthe increasedamount of wear in the jointadjacent the ends ofV the rails, said webengageable with lateral surfaces'of the rail joint bolts passing throughthe joint bars and rail web to restrain the body from longitudinalmove-V ment in the joint. f

4. As an article of manufacture, a metallic liner element havingwear-resisting surfaces,

adapted to be inserted'between worn con' tacting portions of a pair ofArails and a rail joint side b'ar bolted against a side of each of therails, said element being thickened toward portions thereof disposedadjacent the ends of the rails, and tapering in either directiontherefrom, said liner comprising severalangularly disposed portions,anuplper ofsaid portions adapted to be fitted l between the fishingsurface of the rail head flange and the portion of the side barcontacting therewith, a lowerof said portions adapted to be fittedbetween the bottom sur'- face of the side bar and the upper surface ofthe rail base flange. Y v

5. As an article of manufacture, a liner element of a hard metallicmaterial adapted to be inserted between worn contacting por? tions of apairof rails and a rail joint side barbolted against a side ofl each ofthe-rails,

ysaid element being thickened toward portions thereof disposed adjacentthe ends of t the rails, and taperingr in either directiontherefrom,vsaid liner comprising several angularly disposedportions, anupper'of said portion's adapted to be fitted between the 'fishingsurfaceof the rail head flange and the portion ofthe side contactingthere-` with, alower of said portions adaptedto be fitted between thebottom surface of the side Vbar .and the upper surface of thevrail'loasev flange, and a web portionjoining the upper and lowerportions, said upper and lower portions being of 'hardened' steelmaterial and extending outwardly from the web portion, said web portionadapted to be disposed next adjacent the web of the rail. j i

6.' As an article of manufacture, a liner element of a hard metallicmaterial adapted to the portion of they side bar contacting therewith,'ailowefiy of said vportions 'adapted to be fittedbetween the bottomsurface of the Side Vbar and `the upper surface4 of the rail baseflange, anda web portion joining the upper and lower portions, saidupperjand Vlower portions being: of hardened steell material y andextending outy'vardly-from the'webportion, said web portionadapted to be.disposed next adjacent the webof the rail, said web portion vhaving anopening i extending through itsupper portion adapted toreceiveavprojection of the side bar extending toward the portion of the railweb adjacent the rail head.

7. 'As an article of manufacture, a liner element of a hard metallicmaterial adapted to be inserted between worn contacting portions of alpair of rails and a rail joint sidel bar bolted against a side of eachof the rails,

said element being thickened toward portions thereof disposed adjacentthe ends of the rails, and tapering in either directionl therefrom, saidliner 'comprising several angularly disposed portions, an upper of said.portions adapted to. be fitted between the fishing surface of the railhead flange and the portion ofthe side bar contacting theref with, alower of said lportions adapted to be fitted between the bottom surfaceof the side bar and the upper surface of the rail base flange, and a webportion joining the upper and lower portions, said upper and lowerportions being of hardened steel material and extending outwardly fromthe web portion, said web portion adapted to'be disposed nextadjacentthe web of the rail, said web portion having through its upperportion adapted to receive.

an opening a `projection of the sidebar extending toward theportion! ofthe rail web adjacent the rail head, and having an opening extendingthrough its lowermost portion adextending jacentth'e rail base fli ngecontacting pory tion and adapted to receive a projecting `portion of thebarextending towards the portion of the rail web next adjacent the :railbase. W

8. Ar wear Acompensating means for rail joints comprising a. `sheetmetal body of Y' angular'cross sectional form comprising av positioningand a wear coinpensating'shimy K fiange, said wear'compensating angeinsertv'able between vthe rail joint side bar and the 'upper surfaces ofa pair of aligned rail base flanges, said wear compensating flange beingktapered in thickness vlongitudinally of the joint to compensate' forthe increasedV amount of wear in tliejoint adjacent the ends of therails.

9. 'A wear compensating means for rail joints comprising a sheet metalbody of channel cross-sectional form comprising an intermediate web andVwear compensating shim flanges extending diveigingly from the ,upper4and lower portions l thereof, ksaid lneansfnsrtablg betee'n .sidV br ofjill jKQfnt .andthe rail with the upper` and lower flanges ntpps'ed`ifesrpectively between the sclenbgnand unglers'd of the mil head Hngeand the uppel1 sdle pf the fail baffm@ Said flfin'ges .being i .taperedin thickness; longitudnllypf the o'nt lt0 C01Hnpensate forthekincreasedraarnount,pf JWear n the joint adjacent vthe ends of therails,

ROBERT EMMET -EOTUGH.

